1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a tire carrying device for raising and lowering a wheel between a storage position and an access position. More specifically, the invention relates to a winch assembly of the tire carrying device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Tire carrying devices are commonly used in automotive vehicles for raising and lowering a tire between a storage position disposed against an underside of the vehicle and an access position spaced apart from the underside of the vehicle to facilitate access to the tire. A tire carrying device usually includes a winch assembly that includes a spool, a flexible tether wrapped around the spool and having a free end attached to the tire, and a torque limiter operatively coupled to the spool to prevent overloading of the cable during raising of the tire to the storage position.
An example of a tire carrying device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,554,253 (“the '253 reference”) issued to Dobmeier et al. on Apr. 29, 2003. The '253 reference discloses first and second chambers or housings for separately enclosing the spool and torque limiter, respectively. Another tire carrying device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,870 issued to Tallent et al. on Jun. 11, 1996. The Tallent reference discloses first and second housing components for separately housing the clutch and spool, respectively.
It remains desirable to provide a winch assembly for a tire carrying device that is less expensive and easier to manufacture than previously known tire carrying devices.